Forms of Cheating in a Relationship and Main Ways to Prevent It
Why do people cheat? I am sure nobody can give an honest answer. Not many adults can expect that behavior even from themselves yet with years, some manage to alter their own opinions. Do people do it consciously or is it a subconscious urge? Can we prevent being cheated on and cheat ourselves, or is this passion too strong? And, most importantly, how fast can you kill a monogamous relationship with a cheating scandal? Also, should you forgive a cheating spouse and how to tell they are being infidel?
It is a very interesting, yet tragic topic for many couples. Cheating partners ruined millions of happy relationships. But are they the ones who led to it or do both of them equally contribute to this problem? Today we will uncover different types of cheating in a relationship, learn what is considered infidelity, and even study some ways to prevent it.
What Is Cheating in a Relationship?
If we look up a definition of cheating in a relationship, the first thing that pops up is "acting unfairly and not honestly to gain an advantage." Indeed, a cheating partner has to lie and invent a lot to get away with their infidelity. Yet the thing they pursue is an emotional or sexual connection with another person outside of their marital/pre-marital relationship.
Cheating is rarely done with a masochistic desire to hurt a partner, on the contrary, a person who commits adultery rarely lets their beloved one know, keeping it a complete secret for years and decades.
What is cheating in a relationship? Aside from vocabulary definitions, it is a very personal matter that needs to be communicated with the partner. Some of us consider a peck on a cheek, a flirty text, a hug as cheating, others are ready to forgive drunk intercourse. Each person’s barriers are individual, but what do you do if these borders have been violated?
Why Do People Cheat?
To answer this question, we need to get down to the roots of evolution. Animals are almost always polygamous creatures whose goal is to provide as many offspring as they possibly can. In the modern world, this urge is washed off a great deal. But the thing infidel partners still pursue is various degrees of emotional and sexual satisfaction.
Whatever they miss in their partner, cheating spouses try to find in another person. Not rare are the cases when a cheating husband or wife feels an emptiness inside their heart, falsely thinking that another person might gladly fill the void inside it. Another crucial reason for cheating tendencies is getting attention and approval. And while men are believed to cheat physically when they are bored with bland sex, women are said to seek an emotional connection with other people to feel that exclusivity and confirmation. 
Even if you think that the situation is visibly simple with males, in fact, both genders often pretend to be single-ready-to-mingle just to get a fair amount of attention and then retreat. So when you talk to single ladies online, chances are, you will face the same situation.
What Formso Cheating Are There?
People have invented ways to classify types of cheating. Just like crimes, there are equivalents to embezzlement, felony, and cold-blooded murder. I will repeat that for everyone, markers of cheating can be different. You might laugh at it, yet your co-worker might break off a relationship of 20 years over a kiss, and that’s still reasonable. If you have some time, meet a single girl online and collect your trivia of opinions of random people from the Internet to see how differently they all think. Meanwhile, here are the main types of cheating in a relationship.
Micro cheating
Micro cheating is generally something that can be forgiven if it doesn't lead to bigger infidelity. And oftentimes, it does. Micro cheating is hard to spot, yet it shows a tendency in a partner to seek their ways to confess attraction to another person. It can be a flirty text, a drunk kiss on the cheek, an after-work coffee, a lie. It matters who’s micro cheating done with as well. If a guy checks out a busty worker, this can be unpleasant, but quite understandable. But if he chooses to hang out with his (or your) female friend on Valentine's Day, this should be an alarming sign. Micro cheating is the sneakiest way to betray a partner because it's not as bad as physical sex, yet you know that something isn't right.
Sexting
If you caught your partner sexually texting another person, it is substantial ground to break up with them. Although it may not involve physical infidelity, sexting is a telling sign your spouse or date doesn’t take you seriously. And it is only a matter of time before them and their sexual interest meet up in real life. Sexting also involves sending and receiving nude photos, as well as video chatting and "getting freaky on camera." Sexting is often a reoccurring problem, so don't think your partner is doing it out of pure interest and for the last time. So if you ask, “Is sexting cheating if you are in a relationship?” it is as your partner often thinks about another person sexually.
Emotional cheating
Emotional cheating is believed to be the worst child of infidelity. When sexual acts rarely form a bond between two adults, emotional connection is something that breaks families apart. When a partner starts acknowledging someone else more than just a fling, they start developing serious feelings for that person, and that leaves no space for their spouse/official date in their heart.
Accidental physical cheating
Physical cheating is disgusting to monogamous partners on so many levels. And paradoxically, there is no accidental cheating. If one has an urge deep down in their psyche, they will execute their will and call it “accidental.” People also call it “drunken infidelity” or “emotional crisis” or “one-time event,” but there is nothing worse than being betrayed just for the sake of it.
Occasional/constant cheating
The most difficult situation is when your partner doesn’t skip the opportunity to have a fling while on vacation, being away for work, etc. And some families manage to sustain third-party young ladies for years! That is what we call consistency! But on a serious note, finding out about your partner's long-term affair is tragic and is the epitome of human infidelity.
Main Signs of a Cheating Partner
However, don’t be sappy and paranoid. There are many telling signs of a cheating partner in a relationship, and some of them are easy to spot. The question is, are you ready to face the truth?
Changed routine
If your partner gets home from work and the first thing they do is hop into the shower, this should be a red flag. There's nothing bad with hygiene, but if you know your spouse's daily regiment, what can they be washing off? A foreign smell? Perfume? Lipstick stains? Be very attentive and watch whether they do the laundry more often, get from work later, or go to bed earlier. All the unexplained weird moves from your partner can be a shady sign of cheating.
Sudden beauty pageant
Did your partner always have such a complex beauty routine? Again, there’s nothing bad about going to the gym, but if they pump the iron, use hair gel, shave, and shop for new clothes excessively, they are not aiming for a job promotion. Especially if you couldn’t force your spouse to jog even for once in a lifetime.
Aggressive/silent behavior
A liar doesn't want the truth to be revealed. And if you try, everything will sound like a personal threat. If your partner doesn’t want to talk to you for no reason, distancing themselves from you every day, ask yourself, maybe they feel guilty about something? A sudden cold shoulder, a change of vibe can tell about lots of problems (health/job issues), but if they constantly refuse to give away the issue, staying aggressive, it is a red flag.
Hiding their phone
If your husband or wife suddenly locks their phone, or uses it only when you are away, mute calls, or always keeps it in their hands, chances are, they want to hide something from you.
Your sexual life became unsatisfying
If you are not the one who refuses sex daily, it can also be a sign of cheating. Your partner may flake on you out of guilt; however, it is not the only reason why you don't turn them on anymore. Anyway, you should have a sit and talk about it.
Main Ways to Prevent Each Cheating Type in a Relationship
If you don’t want to learn how to move forward in a relationship after cheating, it is easier to fix the issue before its breakout. Let's consider some major ways that'll make your partner stay in love with you.
1. Talk more
Whatever issue you have, always talk about it. Never leave things as they are. Miscommunication sometimes leads to total misunderstanding. And when two people don't understand their value for each other, they have no problem ruining it. If you feel anxiety in the air, break the silence and always try to tell about things as they are. You are not only partners, but you're also friends and lovers.
2. Stay flirty
To eliminate the problem with sex drive, learn how to charm and be charming. To do this, you should learn to love yourself first. You don't have to be the best lover or the most eloquent orator in the universe. Just make your effort, and if some things go wrong, get back to rule number one.
3. Work on your trust issues
Paradoxically, but we often kill fidelity in our partnership with our bare hands. If you are constantly talking about the alleged cheating, you subconsciously alter your SO's mind, gaslighting them and proving it's a possible option. Remember that if you accuse someone of committing a crime, they will believe in their guilt soon, and your worst fears may come true.
Fidelity is a mature topic that needs tons of communication and therapy in case of its absence. But if you are willing to work on it, there are no impossible cases. Stay true to each other and yourselves, and the possibilities of cheating in the families will be defeated or eliminated.
